


Scuttlebutt

by schweet_heart



Series: Merlin Fic [197]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Canon Era, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Gossip, Intrigue, Jealous Merlin (Merlin), M/M, Political Alliances, Smitten Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22119130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schweet_heart/pseuds/schweet_heart
Summary: In which the Camelot Rumour Mill is at it again, and Merlin is in no way jealous of Arthur's latest conquest. Not at all.
Relationships: Arthur & Original Female Character, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Series: Merlin Fic [197]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/70688
Comments: 71
Kudos: 795
Collections: Finish that Fic Merlin!





	Scuttlebutt

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a sequel to [_Grapevine_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15168371), so you may want to read that first. 
> 
> For those of you waiting on the next chapter of Fidelity, I swear I'm working on it – I just got a bit delayed by Christmas/New Years! I hope this will suffice in the meantime XD
> 
> Please do not repost elsewhere or list my fic on Goodreads (or any other similar spaces).

“You know what they’re saying, of course.”

As usual, Merlin didn’t even bother with a good morning before launching into his daily prattle. Arthur cracked one eye open and glared at him, hoping that the sheer force of his disapproval would get Merlin to stop talking. Unfortunately, his manservant was too busy yanking open the curtains to notice Arthur’s irritation, and so he continued on:

“I thought they were being ridiculous at first, but Lady Susannah said that her maidservant said that you were seen in the gardens together, and you _hate_ the gardens, and then _Gwen_ said that she’d heard that you'd ordered the cook to pack up some food for a picnic this afternoon—”

“Merlin,” Arthur interrupted wearily. “Surely you know better by now than to believe such idle gossip.”

Merlin stopped what he was doing and turned to face him, his blue eyes narrowing into an expression of pique. “It’s not idle if it’s true,” he said tartly, and Arthur had to admit that he may have had a point. He _had_ gone walking in the rose garden with Lady Elaine, and he _was_ planning to spend some time with her that afternoon, but contrary to what certain people seemed to think, two harmless public assignations did not a love affair make.

“I thought you liked Lady Elaine,” he said, changing tactics. “Weren’t you the one who said she was kind to servants and deserved better than Sir Bleoberis as a suitor?”

“Well, yes, but I didn’t mean you ought to go ahead and marry her yourself,” Merlin retorted, and then he bit his lip. “I’m sorry. Of course you _should_ marry her, if you really like her. I just didn’t think she was your type, that’s all.”

Arthur dearly wanted to ask what Merlin thought his ‘type’ was, but to do so would ruin his carefully cultivated image of indifference. There was also Lady Elaine’s reputation to consider. While he had no doubt whatsoever that he could trust Merlin with his life, it was important that everyone else believed exactly what Merlin believed about Arthur and Elaine’s upcoming rendezvous. He couldn’t risk saying anything which might make people suspect all was not as it seemed.

“I do like her,” he said finally, choosing his words with care. “She’s quite funny and definitely clever. The exact opposite to you, in fact.”

Merlin favoured him with his most insincere smile. “Then I’m happy for you, sire,” he said, laying out Arthur’s breakfast things with unnecessary force. “At least one of you should have some brains, if you’re to run the kingdom together.”

+

Arthur's statement was true, so far as it went—Lady Elaine _was_ an intelligent woman, and quite funny when she chose to be, which made their picnic that afternoon an enjoyable affair. She also answered honestly when he began fishing for information about any previous attachments, which considering the nature of her answer showed courage as well as good judgment of character.

“I dare say you’ll find it very shocking, sire,” she said, as she down her cup,“but my views of love are rather unconventional, and I’m afraid I have resigned myself to the fact that I must make an alliance with someone other than the person I truly love.” Her eyes drifted, almost imperceptibly, to where their respective servants were standing just a little way off, out of hearing distance but still close enough to serve as respectable chaperones. “However difficult it may be for my heart to accept it.”

Arthur followed her gaze, and after a moment of mingled jealousy and alarm when he imagined that _Merlin_ might be the object of her longing look, he caught sight of the maidservant, Anna, whose drawn expression echoed the sadness in her mistress’s eyes.

“Ah,” he said, enlightenment bursting upon him with all the grace and elegance of his manservant dropping Arthur’s breastplate on his foot. “I see.”

Lady Elaine’s cool gaze challenged him to make anything of it, but Arthur was already readjusting his plans in light of this new information. Had the object of her affection been merely a servant, that would be one thing; through the right connections and some good, hard work, a servant might find himself elevated, if not to a Lord, then at least to a more respectable rank suitable for marriage to a lady. But as a servant and, more importantly, a _woman_ , Anna made for a trickier proposition.

“You are silent, my lord,” Lady Elaine said, after a moment. “I fear I _have_ shocked you.”

“No,” Arthur was quick to assure her. “Or, at least—not for the reasons you may think.”

He looked over at his own servant, who appeared to be doing his best to see if he could make Anna laugh. He wasn’t sure precisely what his expression looked like, but he could tell from Lady Elaine’s sudden intake of breath that she hadn’t missed the significance of the gesture. 

“I see we understand each other very well, then,” she said, and when she smiled, Arthur decided, she didn’t look particularly wispy at all.

+

“I can’t _believe_ you,” Merlin said, storming into Arthur’s chambers a few days later. “How could you do that to Lady Elaine? Lady Susannah’s maidservant told Gwen that her mistress said you were caught red-handed with Lady Margaret in the library, and poor Lady Elaine has been heartbroken about it all week!”

  
Arthur, who had carefully engineered this exact rumour by arranging to be caught in said compromising position at that precise moment, didn’t look up from his grain report. 

“Merlin, has anyone ever told you that you pay an inordinate amount of attention to kitchen gossip?” he said, annotating some of the figures absently. Merlin glared at him.

“I thought you _liked_ Lady Elaine,” he said, in tones of righteous accusation. “You said she was funny. You went on _picnics_.”

“I did,” Arthur said. “And I do. But liking someone doesn’t mean I intend to marry them, Merlin, you know that. My father would never have consented to the match. Besides,” he dipped his quill into the ink pot again. “I think Lady Elaine got all she wanted from our little dalliance. She seemed quite satisfied with the outcome.”

“Are you saying that you and she—!?”

“Of course not,” Arthur said, frowning. “But since you are so fond of listening to wagging tongues, I’d have thought you’d know by now that my interest in her has much improved her position at court. She has a far more suitable admirer already.”

“I did hear something of the sort,” Merlin said, sounding a little less angry now. He tilted his head. “According to Gwen, Sir Charles of Montford is quite taken with her. They say he’s going to apply to her father for permission to court her properly, but I didn’t credit it at the time because he’s…well…” He hesitated, suddenly reticent, so Arthur filled in the sentence for him.

“Hopelessly in love with Peter the stablehand?” he said blandly. “Yes, I suppose he is. Then again, I’ve heard that Lady Elaine’s estate is known for its horse-breeding. No doubt they’ll need someone to help them manage the stables in weeks to come.”

Merlin stared at him, open-mouthed, another piece of information he had shared with Arthur obviously clicking into place, and Arthur revelled in the regrettably rare experience of having rendered him speechless.

“Are you telling me,” Merlin said at last, looking equal parts shocked and delighted by the prospect, “that you started flirting with Lady Elaine specifically to bring this outcome about? You _wanted_ her and Sir Charles to end up together?” Then, interestingly, his cheeks turned pink, spreading a becoming flush all the way to his ears. “I thought,” he said, then had to clear his throat. “Does that mean the Lady Elaine is…?”

“I didn’t ask,” Arthur said, setting down his quill. “But Sir Charles is a kind, compassionate man, and, equally important, he is a second son, eager to prove his worth. He’s the ideal candidate for helping Elaine manage her estate, and I think between them they’ll do a creditable job of keeping border attacks at bay.” 

The grin dropped off Merlin’s face. “You mean you did all that for political reasons?” he asked indignantly. “Arthur!”

“Why else would I have done it?” Arthur asked, affecting innocence. He sat back in his chair, stretching out his legs, and smirked at Merlin’s outraged expression. “Honestly, Merlin, you’re too romantic for your own good. Some of us have more practical issues to consider.”

“And some of us are supercilious prats,” Merlin muttered, but Arthur couldn’t help smiling at the back of his head as he turned away to stoke up the fire. Really, Merlin was a very useful manservant, in spite of his flaws. And now Arthur knew he had no issues with the idea of two women—or, indeed, two men—sharing an intimate relationship. All things considered, it was a very good day’s work.


End file.
